Traveling and Time is Flying

WOW!!!  It has been over 3 months since I have added to this blog.  I guess that means I have been busy and/or unable to get online to 'get r done'.  I have been real busy as Suzanne and I went to Utah for 2 weeks in October and traveled over 3,000 miles and went to 5 National Parks.  I took lots of photos and saw some outstanding sights.  It was the first time I have ever vacationed and traveled outside of California for relaxation and fun.  We had a ball and the weather was great.
We started at Moab, Utah, and went to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and Dead Horse State Park.  It was fantastic and so very beautiful.  We stayed at a great Bed and Breakfast and really enjoyed it and relaxed for 5 days.  Then we took off to Capitol Reef National Park and more great sights.  Then on the road again after a day to head for Bryce Canyon for 4 days then to Zion for 4 days.  It was great in that we had time to relax and enjoy each place and take in the sights.  I took over 2200 photos and got a couple pretty good ones.
Being from California it was strange seeing these beautiful canyons and mesas and the colors were great.  We were lucky too in that the trees were starting to change to their fall colors and it made for some beautful scenes.  It was great and we will go back but have some other places to visit and photo first.  I have scheduled to attend a photo workshop in Savannah in the spring so that should be a lot of fun.  We are planning to extend our trip with a visit to some friends in N. Carolina. 
I was so ready for retirement and I am so busy and enjoying this whole thing.  It is great and something I hope everyone gets to enjoy.

Retired with a Reunion to attend

My high school class is having a 50 year reunion this weekend and I can't believe how excited I am getting.  I think most everyone likes to see old friends and tell the stories again, some of the stories are better now than they were a few years ago.  I volunteered to work on the committee and I am real glad I did that.  I had the time to do it, it was only about 10-15 miles from home and I got to meet old friends and talk about shcool and what we had done and what we were doing.  We all have changed a little and gottne older but when we get together we are young again and times are good.  The brain is a fantastic machine and seems to remember mostly the good times and fun things we did.  I many ways I know that the Good Lord was watching over me and had plans for me because I made it through some rough times and I am the better for it.

It is funny how you don't fear things or think about death when you are growing up, that's not going to happen to me.  As I look back and remember some of the people, and things we did in high school and in college it is a wonder that I am not dead or more messed up than I am.  I guess I was just enjoying the moment and not worrying about the consequences.  I am not saying that I came out clean with no bad days but I survived and hopefully learned from it.  I know that since I have been working on this reunion and thinking about seeing everyone again I remember those good days and know that there were bad days too.  I can not relive the past, my body wouldn't take it probably, but I can enjoy some of the great times as I remember them.

We have about 140 people coming to the reunion and that includes about 100 classmates from a class of about 200-250.  That is not a bad showing since some of us are gone now or live a long ways away.  Also it was difficult getting a hold of some of the people as they moved away and we lost contact with them and with the gals getting married and changing their names it made it even more difficult.  We got ahold of a lot of my class and it is funny how most of them are eager to attend the reunion and see old friends and classmates.  I know I have referred to my high school yearbook dozens of times in last six months.  I hear a name and have to look them up.  In some cases I don't even remember the name let alone the face.  It should be real interesting Saturday night when people show up and I try to recognize them, luckily there will have there ID badge on that will show their graduation picture and name on it because it has been 20 years since I have seen some of them and almost 50 years for some of the others.  I know I have put on a few pounds, actually only about 20-25, and my hair is longer but thinner and is almost silver now compared to full head of brown hair with a 'Butch cut' or "flat-top" as it was called then.

This is so exciting and with both the reunion and the Utah vacation coming up I have had a tough time relaxing.  It reminds me of the two kids in the 'Disneyland' commercial where the girl asks her brother if he is sleeping, he says 'No, I'm too excited!!!'  That is the way I feel.  Life is Good and I am So Blessed.

Retired and Free

I retired over a year and a half ago and I am still loving it.  At first it seemed to be nice not having a schedule to follow and running from here to there and back.  Now I realize that being free from many time restrictions is a blessing in many ways.  If I want to do something or go somewhere, I can, with in reason of course.  I have noticed that my time is somewhat scheduled though.  If someone says something about doing something or going someplace I have to check my calendar and see if I am free or can fit it in.   Freedom is such a great thing and wonderful feeling.

I can imagine it might be nice being able to do even more but I have to stick to my budget and stay within my means, so I stay close to home and enjoy.  I saw an article in a magazine that talked about vacations and short trips, it was called "One Tank Trips" and was just that.   It was a list of places that were within about 400 miles round trip.  It was a list of great places to go around the Bay Area.  I hadn't thought of a lot of the places and it is nice to be able visit some place new or revisit an old favorite place again.  Being retired with the free time and open schedule is nice to hit some of these on the list.  I call my gal friend and we just take off for the day or a couple days.  "Life is good".

Occasionally we go on big trips and those are great too, although they have to be budgeted and planned for.  We are going on a trip to Utah next week and we both are excited about that.  We are going to hit at least 4 of the National Parks and take lots of pictures.  We have planned some of it out and have reservations at hotels/motels around Utah but are not on a strict planned format.  We plan on seeing all the scenic sights and enjoy them as we go but since our time is more flexible we are not stressing out as far as doing everything if we don't want to or can't do.  I can remember a vacation when I was married and we took the kids to the Redwoods and up to Oregon.  I had it planned out almost to the minute so that we could see everything and be back in time for me to go to work in a week.  I was tired when we got back and I am not sure if anyone really enjoyed the trip.  Rush, rush, rush, hurry, hurry!!!!

This trip may involve a lot of driving getting to there and back but with both of us driving and with a couple books on tape and XM radio we'll be fine.  We have set it up so we have 3-4 days at each place and left it open ended as far as our return.  Of course we both want to see the beautiful sights and I want to take lots of pictures, maybe I we find that one and take the "perfect picture".   It may be that I will get up early to catch the sunrise photos, then go back to bed for a nap and then go for a walk and take a few sunset pictures.http://www.davesutherlandphoto.com/

Retired and Bored?? No Way !!!!

After I was retired for a while I wondered if maybe I would get tired of doing some things and sit around and watch TV and drink beer all day and most of the night. Instead I seem to keep busy working on my photography, either taking photos or processing them or printing them. When I am not working on photography I am just going here and there and looking at historic places or pretty places and doing neat things, like shopping (and not always buying but looking).

There have been times when it almost seems like I have been busy and been doing nothing much at all. Of course when you have no time schedule to follow or no reports to get out or no meeting to attend you are free to do what you want, when you want to. I think this is the enjoyment of retirement and the idea of getting away from the rat race and enjoying life is what it is all about. Of course we all don't or can't retire with unlimited funds to do everything we have ever wanted to do and go every where we want to see or visit. Retirement is a time or a place that we can relax and enjoy. If we are lucky we have our health and we have someone to share it with. Retirement is a state of mind as well as a physical condition. My wish is for everyone to be able to retire one day and to be able to enjoy it to the fullest for many many years. God Bless you all

Too much time?

As I look back through my blog I wonder to myself if I babble on too much?? Maybe I have this time now that I'm retired so I talk a lot. Is this blog a journal about me and my life or is it very cheap therapy?? Since no one is reading this, except me, who cares if I babble on?? I think maybe I will try to write more often and not write so much at each sitting. Give me your comments and ideas. Are you out there? Hello? Am I here alone? guess so

Retired and Alone, Nah !!

When I got ready to retire I had to change a lot of things and set up a bunch more. Of course I had to set up or at least think about a budget as I was not going to have a steady income coming in. Since I did have a retirement fund and a retirement check and Social Security check coming in that was going to help, so point #1 "watch your money". Also since I had met a great gal I was going to move to Vacaville to be closer to her so I had to sell or rent out my house in Citrus Heights. Since the market and Real Estate prices were in the toilet I decided to rent it out for a while.

Then came one of the biggest decisions and that was what I was going to do with my Grandson's dog. Actually it was more like my dog since my grandson had moved away. My youngest daughter wanted to take the dog but since she was having enough problems taking care of herself her taking "Murphy" when she moved to Tahoe was out of the question. I was lucky enough to find a person that was looking for a dog and liked Murphy so he took him and gave him a good home with a couple more dogs and lots of room to run. OK, most of my problems are answered right??

I knew I was very attached and very much in love with Murphy but I couldn't keep him in the apartment. This worked out for him for the best I think since he had friends and a regular place to stay instead of living at the kennel like he had been doing for about 6 months while I worked in the Bay. Little did I know how much it was going to hurt. We were buddy's and spent almost every minute together when I was home in Citrus Heights. We watched races together, ate together, took walks and had long talks together and yes, slept together. He was 80 pounds of fun and companionship and good looking like me too. We had been together for almost 10 years so it was tough to separate. I knew he was going to bigger and better things and I was starting my new life too but it had a lot of sad moments to think about us going our separate ways.

Now I have retired, moved, and started my new life but now and again I think about my buddy and think about our good times together. He was great even if he was a little spoiled and ill mannered. He would greet me at the window when I got home, no matter what time it was, and then almost knock me over when I got to the door. After the salutations were over we had to go for our walk, that was a requirement he had set down early in our relationship. We would go for a walk once in the morning and once in the afternoon or evening everyday I was home. We went on basically the same walk for all those years, some times going a mile and some times going for 2 miles depending on the weather and how much time we had. The walks at 11pm at night or at 4:30am were usually only a mile as time was tight as I had to leave for work in the Bay or was tired from working all day. He would smell all the bushes and poles and I would talk to him about how things were going at work or we would just talk about life and the world's problems. We may not have had a lot of answers but we discussed all the things pertinent to us.

I am sure he is doing good and may not even remember me since it has been over a year now but I think about him once in a while and get a tear in my eye. He was a great friend and my buddy and we were a great pair. I am very busy now and have lots of friends and I am a lot closer to my family but every once in a while when I think about him and I feel alone. When someone is part of your life for a long time or become an important part of your life and then they go away it leaves a void. Whether it is a parent or family member, a friend or a pet it affects you when they are gone. You may cry and think about them constantly at first and you get to the point that you think about them occasionally, every day, every hour or what ever. I think about the ones that I have lost by death and I remember the good times and that is true for the ones that have gone out of my everyday life by moving. The mind is a very forgiving and self preserving thing as it doesn't dwell on bad memories, it picks out the good things and puts them up in front so you can access them first.

Am I alone?? Nah, I have loved ones around me everyday. Sometimes they are just memories and sometimes they are standing there with me. I do try to give all of them a hug and say I love you as often as I can. At my age things happen quick and I want lots and lots of good memories and very few regrets. ENJOY

Old Dogs can Learn

I guess when I retired I thought it would time to relax, duh, and that I was all through going to school/training and learning. Then I got in to the whole thing about retirement and relaxing and realized since I had all this free time I would try and see what the deal is about Photoshop and Lightroom and how to use them on my photos. While I was at it and had the time I thought I would try to improve my skills on the computer and computer related things in the world. Little did I know that the entire civilized world was revolving around and involved in computers and computer related systems.

It is like grabbing a "Tiger By The Tail" because the more you get into the computer world the more confused you can get by what it can do and how it works. It sometimes confuses me and overwhelms me as I don't always understand how it works. The easiest way to get some answers is to take some training or read up on what you are studying, if that fails I just call my grandson or grand-daughter. The kids now a days are brought up on the electronic gadgets and how to use them and computer programs and how to design and work with them. I am working at it though and learning slow but sure. Maybe it was easier just to stay in my own world and program VCR's and TV's. Trying to learn new things and expand my horizons isn't always the easiest thing at my age.

At least for now I am not giving in and I am determined to learn how to use a PDA and how to get in to Photoshop and get my photos out. I will survive and I will learn. The funny thing about it is that I have the time to work at this and I actually enjoy learning and getting better at this stuff, computers, photography, internet, etc. Funny thing about this is I am one of the lucky ones who grew as all of the electronic stuff was born and developed and grew. I remember when cars started by pushing a button on the floor, cars did not come with a radio (AM radio) as standard, there were only 3 channels on the TV and they all shut off at midnight with the National anthem and a test pattern and computers filled rooms not pin head sized micro-chips. I am very lucky to have my health, my family, my friends, my faith, love and the drive to learn and enjoy the thrill of life. LIFE IS GOOD!!

Retired with an endless To Do List

Now that I am retired and I have all this free time I guess I shall write down a few things to do. It is good to have a 'to do list' as I often either forget what I wanted to do and don't remember the things that I am supposed to do. One of the disadvantages of not working is that you have no real schedule and no structure to keep you doing things and accomplishing things. If you have all this free time you do things as you think of them or just when you want to do them so often some things get forgotten.

Now comes another question and that is did I forget them or just not think they were important enough to do right now. I make up a list of things to do as a reminder, not as things that I have to do, but things I would like to do or should do. When I get on a roll and get busy I start knocking these things out, and usually get most of them done within a reasonable time. Then there are times I start on the list and get distracted and do what I want to or do something else.

It also works out sometimes that I, or we, decide we need to do something or go somewhere to get out of the house or to get away and do something different. Occasionally we just get out and go for a walk or go for a ride to just "blow the stink off" of us. (This was a saying Suzanne's Dad had for getting out and getting some fresh air or just getting out to prevent "cabin fever".) It is good to plan on doing something different or going somewhere different and it is even better if you have someone to go with or be with. Many times we will go shopping at the grocery store or just go "fenuesselling" (which is just going out, with nothing particular to do or no where particular to go. Just get out and be together). Of course it is one of the benefits of being retired in that you don't have a strict schedule. I volunteer to docent twice a month at a photo gallery and I try to give blood once a month or so but other than that we are free to do what we want, up to a financially restrictive point and it is pretty darn good. Photography has become more and more of my routine and taken up more of my time but it is still to do when and as I want to. It is fun !!!

Now, because of the photography I am working more and more on the computer. I am either trying to learn Photoshop or Lightroom and learn how to use it and work with it or I am working on a website. The website is just for my personal use to display my photos so people can enjoy them and learning Photoshop is to learn how to display the best of my photos. Of course it is all for fun or for my pleasure and enjoyment and isn't that really what retirement is all about anyway?? ENJOY

Retired and Bucket List

Time is still flying and I am as busy as ever but still enjoying it. It seems like I can stay busy but doing things when I want and as I want to for the most part. I think that is the real pleasure and key part to being retired. I always thought that when I was lucky enough to retire that I would travel and do all the things I was able to do or didn't have time to do while I was working. Of course I knew that I would have to have money in the bank and my health so that I could do those things. WELL, I got part of the equation in that I have some money in the bank, less this year than I had 1 1/2 years ago, but I do have my health. I am physically able to get around real well and like doing some physical things, walking, bicycle riding, go-kart racing, going on photo shoots, etc., but also enjoying relaxing and kicking back.

I have a list that is probably 2 pages or so long with the list of my "to do's" and although they are not my "must do's" they could be called my "Bucket List". The nice thing about the list is that they all or mostly all within reach. I don't have to travel to far points of the world or spend a lot of money (oh yes, some are rather expensive) because these are things that I can do and want to do. Since I have gotten more involved in photography a good number of the things have to do with going places to get great photos or doing things to get that "perfect photo".

Needless to say, most things on the list are there because I have got a good friend and life companion to share these adventures with. Since I met Suzanne, 2 years 1 month and 2 weeks ago, I have laughed more and just flat enjoyed life more than I can ever remember. Sure, being retired has helped because I was able to relax and not answer the phone at all hours of the day or night, or stress about getting something done by this time or this date. Also, with her I have talked or walked or enjoyed the slower pace. We like the same things and yet are able to let the other go do what they want to while we do our thing. We thank eHarmony almost daily and praise their organization constantly for matching us or at least introducing us. Often times we will be going somewhere or just sitting around and we talk and talk and talk about everything. It is great that we are able to do this as we therefore learn about each other and learn about ourselves. In our conversations we sometimes think about things or realize things about ourselves that we didn't know or think about before. Occasionally we point out a flaw or short coming about our previous lifetime (that is how we think about it, "a previous lifetime", and realize how we were so involved in our work or ourselves that we didn't consider the effect on others around us.

I am sure that aging and maturing have a lot to do with our view points but it is funny sometimes how you can really get deep in to your brain and soul and pull out some real gems. I know that in our conversations I often just "blurt out" what I am thinking and it is so truthful and so revealing. I used to joke about how older people sometimes would say things without thinking about the consequences but it was just the truth, and hey, they had been around long enough to give an opinion. (wow, now I am one of those older people). Honesty can be enlightening and revealing at the same time.

I guess you may wonder what some of my bucket list things might include and although some are written down a lot of them are floating around in my head. You may be thinking that I should write these down quick before I forget them and you may be right. The nice thing about a bucket list is that it is ever growing and ever changing. I am going to a photo class tomorrow then out on a photo shoot with friends, next week I will read a little and study some, maybe take another photo class and then go out for a day at the races to photo Go-Karts in action. I have other things planned but they may be local or a ways away and maybe I'll do them or not. Life is to be enjoyed and in these times it may be a little difficult but I try to relax and enjoy my time with Suzanne and enjoy my time here before I get called away.

Retired and getting older

Now that I have retired and have lots of time to think about things and think about nothing, I do just that. We retire when we get older and have put away a dollar or two. Often times we think that the dollars we put away will pull us through since our expenses are down to a minimum. Then reality sets in and we get the idea it is not quite as easy as we thought. It is a big adjustment but it is within reason. Sure, we may not be able to take the trips around the world, buy a new car and the big screen TV but it can be done.

After this shock sets in and you adjust then you realize you "may" be older. You don't feel any older, in fact you feel pretty good since the "rat race" strain has eased off and you may have been told that you look better, more relaxed, but you are still 68 or 65 or whatever age you chose to retire at. Since you have the time now you try to visit family and friends a little more, especially the ones you haven't seen or spent time with in a while. As you do that you realize we all are getting older and that is actually the good news. Many of our friends and family are on the decline or not making it. Then some of your free time while being retired is visiting sick people or going to memorial services. Damn!!! Why didn't I go see them earlier or drop by and chat with them more often. There are no guarantees in life.

It can be tough sometimes because you love them but you have not found the time to go and see them or call them or drop them a birthday card or "thinking of you" card. How many years has it been and how long have you known them?? WOW!! Maybe it is just me but I don't consider sending them an email as a very personal contact. Everybody emails, or forwards emails, so it has lost the real life touch as far as I can see it. People need people and it is good to keep in touch with the ones you know and care about. Wow, I need to get off my soapbox and wipe my tears away and enjoy life and my retirement. I have been retired just over a year now and have been to 6 funerals/memorial services and even missed some more. Life it too precious, so enjoy it while you can and hug a friend, kiss family, pat an animals head, and say something nice to someone on the street or in a store. I guess I have too much time to think about things but I believe it is great to smile and say hello or good morning to a stranger and stay close to friends and family.

Retired and Still Loving

Is retirement the answer to all our problems? It may not be but is a great way to live. It seems like I have learned to relax and even gotten to the point where I look at life a little different. When I decided that it was finally time to retire and quit working. I figured I had the retirement check coming in (from CF), my 401k/retirement money that I put in the market and then my Social Security check and I could make it.

Then the market went in to the dumpster and it was back to the budget for some necessary adjustments. I was like all of us that had money in the stockmarket, I took a big hit. I lost about 40% or so and that was my spending money for many years of pleasant and active retirement. The cash I was going to get from selling my house and paying off my mortgage was going to add to that nest egg. Alas, the housing market is down and I can't sell the house and get much from that so I will continue to rent it out and pay the mortgage payment that way. Wow, if I had decided to retire in August instead of April I think I would have stayed working and suffered a slow and painful death as a result of "burn out".

I will watch my budget and curb some of the trips and expenses and survive as best I can. I have my photography and learning to take great photos to help me enjoy life. I have the thrill of surfing the net and keeping up events to keep me occupied. Of course, I have the love of a good and very fun lady to keep me happy and smiling. Life is Good!!

I have talked with some of the people I have worked with and they ask how retirement is treating me and I say great. I was ready in so many ways to relax and enjoy retirement and I think I had thought it out and planned in some many ways and now it is working out. I realize now everyone can retire now or may not even want to retire now but it is a great institution and I think it is good to be on a slower pace with a little less stress.

Retired with a hobby

When I retired I knew I would have to have a hobby or two and it was important to keep busy, both physically and mentally. Little did I realize how your hobby, which was a part time thing when you were working, would be or could be a full time pastime when you retired. Although it is not stressful or creating any pressure it is very fulfilling and can fill your time up so you don't want to do hardly anything else or don't have the time to do anything else. Being retired is a completely way of life than I had thought it would be. A lot different than I thought.

I imagined that I would be a little busy doing things but didn't realize how comfortable it would get to do things as I wanted when I wanted. Within reason I just did things as I felt like it. Of course I had a great life partner and she was fun to be with and do things with. Being as we were both retired we tended to do almost everything at the spur of the moment or at least with out much planning. It is really nice because don't worry about planning things and worrying about a time schedule. Sure we planned a few trips or things to do but if we didn't feel like it when it came time we just did something else, or did almost nothing. We read, we listened to music, we went for a ride in to the country, maybe went to get a coffee or an ice cream, went shopping or maybe we just talked. It is so relaxing and so fulfilling. A lot of the time things can just wait.

Some of the day was spent doing our own things, by ourselves. We might work in the garden, or surf the net or work on a scrapbook or album. It was times like these that time would seem to get away from me. I would get so wrapped up in doing something and with nothing scheduled to do or that had to be done the time would just fly and next thing I would know it was late. Of course when I was finishing up on my school work and getting ready for finals I got real busy.

It seems to be so funny to be retired and talking about having to do finals. I did have them though and it was fun getting ready for them by taking pictures and writing story lines and studying up on terms and procedures. Photography is a great hobby/advocation in that it is so individual and what is good for one may not good for another. What you may think of for a subject for a project may not be on someone elses radar. I traveled around the Bay Area working on my final assignment and although I had a main idea and bet I changed my direction at least a dozen times before I completed it. I got an A+ on my Final and got an "A", 95% for the entire class. The great thing about it was that I learned a lot about photography, thank you Mrs.Craven, and had fun doing it, thanks again.

ENJOY

Retired, and in school???

After relaxing and enjoying life for a few months I signed up for a "Introduction to Digital Photography" class at Solano Community College in Fairfield. Does this feel feel weird?? Me, going to a school and registering for classes and buying books and supplies. I am 67 years old, retired after working almost 50 years, used to being on call at all hours of the day and night, and working long hours and weekends and holidays and I'm going back to school. I look at these young kids that are young enough to be my grandkids and here I am, a silver haired guy carrying his books to class just like them.

I get in to class, find a desk with a computer to sit at, and wait for the teacher's instructions. The teacher is a young gal, younger than my youngest daughter, but has a great background in commercial photography. She discussed how the classes would be held in both the classroom and in the field and what is expected from the students in the class, there are about 30 of us. The class meets once a week for 4 hours and holds a value of 3 units. Then she hands out some class papers and some guides and give us the homework assignment!! Wait a minute. I just wanted to get to know a little about taking pictures and maybe how to use PhotoShop CS4.

Well, I read the assignments and the required reading in the study books and low and behold I am learning how to take better photos and learn what my camera can do and what I can do with my camera. It is a lot of fun and interesting too. I used to just take pictures at birthday parties and get togethers and special occasions or maybe while on vaction. Now I take photos and try different things from different angles and try different effects with the camera. It is intersting and I am so glad I am using a digital as I can get instant feedback and look at the photo and can make corrections right now. Also, I take a lot more photos since I can, I take anywhere from 200 to 450 pictures at a time. Then when I get home I can upload the photos on to my computer and review them and save the good ones. Now I look for excuses to go somewhere and take pictures.

I have always wanted to see a balloon race and then I noticed that the Reno balloon races were the next weekend. I called my gal friend and asked her if she wanted to go for a ride to Reno to see the balloons and she said sure so we took off at about 11pm. We got up there and found a good spot to watch the festivities. At about 3 o'clock in the morning we were all set up with our cameras, tripods, chairs, blankets and coffee. Bring on the balloons! At about 4am they started filling the balloons and getting things ready and at 4:30 am I started taking pictures, that is about 2 1/2 hours before sunrise. I took about 400 photos until about 8:30 in the morning. By that time we were both pooping out and the balloon races were about over. We got something to eat and some coffee and headed home to Vacaville.

As we were going through Sacramento Suzanne asked me if I felt like doing some costume shopping in Old Sac, and I said sure. We stopped in Old Sac at about noon, and picked up our Halloween costumes and headed home. Needless to say we were pooped now and so we took a nap before dinner. I got some great photos, a couple prize winners actually, and we had a blast. It is great being retired and having the time to do things at a moments notice. There are alot of reasons why it is good to be retired. Life is good

ENJOY

Retired with Lots of time

When someone retires it is a little bit of a misconception that you just relax and have lots of time to do everything. You retire and stop working and doing things on a schedule but it seems like there is hardly any time to get things done. After just a short period of being retired I found that I may have put things on my to-do list but they weren't getting done liked I had hoped. I think that when you are working you put a priority on things and get them done because you may only have a short time in which to get them done. When you are retired you have all this time and you can do things as you want or as you think about it.

Now is where the catch comes in. You have all this time to think about and dream about all those things you wanted to do and then do some as you can but maybe not in any priority or without any real push to get it done. Now, you have all of these things that you want to do and the places you want to go and not many of them are getting done. You feel like you are falling behind and not getting anything accomplished and actually you just have a list and aren't worried about doing everything "right now". There is no pressure, or at least very little pressure, to get it done so you just relax and do what you want to do next. Is this bad?? I say no, it is very relaxing and less stressful as you do what you can and what you want to do when you have a chance to do it.

With this in mind, I trudge on and face the problems of life and the world. Life is good and can be great if you can relax and do things on your schedule and your own time. Next I planned on studying a little history and learn a bunch about photography and taking "the perfect picture". I thought maybe it was time to a class on photography at one of the local schools.

ENJOY

Time does not march !!!

Time does not march or move slow or methodically along, IT FLYS!! It seems like I write down a few notes of what is going on and the next thing I know it is a month or two later. It has been over a year since I retired and I can believe how busy I have been and how much I have done. I didn't try to do a lot of things or go a lot of places but I guess with all the free time or at least non-scheduled time I was just able to do a lot more and really enjoy everything.

The first thing I did was go to DisneyLand with my gal friend, Suzanne. I had never been there and she had been there a couple times but many years ago. We planned to go there for 3 days during the mid-week in early May to avoid the crowds and it worked out well. The crowds were there but more on the lighter side, the lines were not too too long. We got there about noon on Tuesday all the weather was partly cloudy and not too hot. We grabbed out maps and descriptions of the attractions and headed across the street to DisneyLand. It seemed a little strange but it was like we were a couple of kids instead of a couple in their 60's. We went from one ride to another, from one attraction to another and just tried to take it all in. It was great and very rejuvenating and invigorating. We even bought hats to help feel the moment, Suzanne wore a Minnie Mouse hat and I got a Goofy hat. We went to bed early that first night but we both had smiles on our faces and dreamed of all that was in store for us on Wednesday. Wowee!!!

We got up early and had breakfast then over the Disney to get in to ToonTown to see all the characters and see the rides. We stood in the crowd of young parents and their small kids and waited for the show to begin. There we were in our hats and yelling and getting as excited as the youngsters. Finally they came out and we watched their show and then we stood in line to get our pictures taken with our "idols". Suz looked so cute with Minnie and Goofy showed me how to pose holding our ears out straight, he is such a great guy. Then it was off to go on more rides and see stuff and do some shopping. It was a busy day and we slowed down during the afternoon and enjoyed the people and the feeling of DisneyLand. It may be my imagination but it seems like almost everyone at Disneyland is in a pretty good mood. It was fun to wave and smile at the kids and have them look at us in our Disney hats and laugh and wave back. We became part of the Park or did it become part of us??? After the afternoon/evening parades we went to dinner with friends then back to the hotel for some much needed rest.

The next morning we had breakfast and watched all the people and kids getting ready for their trip to DisneyLand. This is such a great place and such a great feeling. For a short time all the cares and woes seemed to drift away and everyone was enjoying life and being kids again. Then we packed up all our stuff and headed to the airport to fly home. It was a great few days and the trip was wonderful and all is well in the world. It was a great trip and a great feeling to become a kid again. DisneyLand is truely a Magic Kingdom.

RETIRED, what now???

Now I have retired and on my first day of retirement I relax, it is Saturday, and I am going to a luncheon with a group of people that worked for a company that went bankrupt about 7 1/2 years ago. I retired from the company about 2 years before they went bankrupt and we try to get together a couple times a year. It seemed funny in a way because people asked how it felt to be retired and how I liked it. I don't know how it feels, I just retired yesterday and it hasn't set in yet.
It was good to see everyone and of course we talked about the good times we had at CF. I worked there for almost 29 years as a dispatcher and asst operations manager. It was my first job ashore when I quit going to sea as a Merchant Marine Deck Officer in 1970. It was a good company and one of the bigger trucking companies in the US, they were ranked as being one of the big three. I had a lot of good times and met a lot of great people, some of the finest I ever worked with, in my time with CF. I also had some rotten times, but it is funny how you tend forget those bad times and remember the better days with fondness.
We chatted and had a pretty good lunch and then I went shopping and drove around with my girl friend. I guess it was taking a little time or a little adjustment to get used to the idea that I was retired and had free time and no real schedule. Maybe it is OK not to have a routine to follow or no real plans, just do what I feel like doing when I feel like doing it.

Retired, no Work , no Job

On the day I retired it was more like not working as I mainly had no responsibilities except see that my replacement was up to speed and knew where things were and what to do. I went around to say goodbye to everyone I worked with that I already hadn't talked to. It was a strange feeling and most people asked how does it feel to be retiring. It was an easy answer in that it didn't feel much different than a normal day but in a way it was different. It was a kind of scary day in that it was my last day working there and actually working anywhere.

I kept thinking that this was my last day here and maybe the last time I would see some of the people. Maybe it is just me or the company and people I worked with but I wasn't mad at anybody or going to be glad not to see or have to work with anybody. I like people and even though some were a pain at times they were all pretty good people. WOW, I am going to retire and I don't have a job anymore to go to. That is almost a good news and bad news thing. I liked my work, but I like having free time to do things, fun things and exciting things. I liked the idea of being on my schedule and having the time to do what I wanted when I wanted to. I guess I am really going to miss some of these people and miss being with them and conversing with them.

When it "finally" came time for me to leave, it was boring not doing hardly anything at all and not having anything to do, I have to admit I was almost a little nervous and scared to leave. Sure I would be able to walk out to the car and drive home but this day was different. Yea, I had worked long hours for many years and was under a lot of strain at times, but it was like there was no tomorrow or it least it was going to be completely different. I went and said a final goodbye to everyone around the office, and actually held back a tear or two, and then walked to my car. As I pulled out of the parking lot I looked back and saw a few people on the steps waving goodbye and I waved back to them. This is actually happening, I think I am a little scared but it is a beautiful day and I love the world and my life on it.

I was driving down the streets and roads trying to concentrate on the traffic, at 2:30 in the afternoon (what traffic??) but I couldn't help smiling and singing out loud while I listened to the radio and saying, "I am retired and I am loving it". My girl friend let me borrow her car to go to work that final day, it is an '87 Porsche Carrera convertible, so I bet everyone could see how happy I was feeling. I really don't remember much about the drive except that I kept saying this is the last time I will be driving by here, at least while commuting and not driving on my own time and going where I want to go. I really felt good. I was almost 'high' on being happy. Since I didn't have my car with the bridge pass I had to stop and pay the toll. As I pulled up to the toll taker I gave him some extra money and said "pay for the car behind me, I just RETIRED, and proceeded toward home. I noticed that the car was following me and trying to catch up to me and when the traffic slowed she pulled alongside me and waved said "thank you" and I waved back and smiled and said "God bless" and we proceeded in our own directions.

I got home and gave my girl friend a hug and I was almost in tears I was so happy, I just retired and it feels great, I was still a little scared though. I guess today really is this first day of the rest of my life, a completely different life. It was hard to explain but it is wonderful and when I think about it I tell myself, go ahead, enjoy it, you deserve it.

Retired, Finally !!

I am new to this thing of blogging but here goes. I have thought about this blog or ones similar to it to find out how the rest of the world is doing with their retirement in the early stages and maybe even get some pointers how to enjoy it even more.
After over 45 years of working high stress and very demanding jobs I thought it was time and I had some money put away and some in my house so I decided to DO IT. After about 6 months the market fell, housing prices fell and my budget went haywire. I am not sorry I finally pulled the plug as I was burnt out and ready. I worked in the Transportation industry, went to sea as a Deck Officer for about 8 years then worked for trucking companies (both freight and tankers) for almost 40 years. It was good and although the pay wasn't the greatest it was good and never a dull moment. the bad part was the long hours, 12 hour shifts most of the time, working nights and weekends and holidays and almost always on call 24 hours a day. I actually didn't realize how bad it was until I had stopped. WOW, very demanding.
People ask me if I miss work or start to head for work from habit and I tell them NO!!. I had a lot of good times but some bad moments too. The last couple years I was working my wife was very sick and I took care of her and worked 12 hour shifts at night. When she passed away about 4 years ago I continued working and after a couple years I realized how lonely life had gotten and I tried to get out in the world again. The bar scene was not for me, being in my 60's, and the gals my friends introduced me to just didn't do it for me. I did go out with a gal about 66 for a while and it seemed ok but then I just didn't feel comfortable with her. We liked similar things, enjoyed talking and watching TV and going for day trips but I wasn't real comfortable being out with her. I finally decided to stop seeing her.
I was on the computer one day and an ad for eHarmony popped up. I figured, what the hell, and started filling out a profile/application. Little did I know that it was going to take quite a bit of time to answer all the questions and fill in the blanks. It seemed like I was going thru page after page but I got real stubborn I said I was going to finish it. When I submitted it they said they would match me with mates of similar interests in my area, so I just waited. Then the matches started coming in. Some did match my idea of a nice date and maybe a "possibility" and some were rejects right off. Although I was 65 I felt a lot younger and most of the women my age seemed too old. It seems like I started being more interested in women 55-60 years old. eHarmony has a pretty good system of matching people and I think if you are honest in your questions and answers it works good. The matches kept coming in, at one time I had 122 matches, and I realized I had to be a little more picky and eliminated any that were not just right. I conversed back and forth a few times with a few of them and we, either she or I, would decide to stop or continue to go on.
To make a long story short, one weekend I had set up 4 dates for the weekend (thank goodness it was a holiday 3 day weekend) and met with some of the matches I had been emailing. All was going well, Friday night was good, Saturday night was real good and then Sunday afternoon's date set off the fireworks. I won't say it was love at first sight but we sure did hit it off. We met at Starbuck's for coffee and after talking for over an hour we went next door to have a soup and salad and talk for about 2 more hours. We planned to meet the following weekend and we went on from there.
Now you are probably asking, What the heck does this have to do with retiring??, and the answer is this chance meeting was the start of something big and gave me a reason to retire. We continued to go out and saw more and more of eachother and about 4 months later I decided to retire and gave my boss notice that I was going to retire. I told him I was going to retire and gave him 8 months notice so he could find a replacement. I figured my job was not a real popular job and finding a replacement might take some time, I was a terminal manager for a trucking company.
The closer I got to the big day, the more I looked forward to retiring and trying to live a rgular life. I did all the work and did not slack off the responsibilities but was sure planning for and looking forward to that great day. The last week I worked I was told not to really do anything except help my replacement and get him up to speed to take over my job. This was very boring since he had been training with other terminal managers for a couple months. I stuggled thru the long week and finally Friday came and after saying goodbye to everyone that I worked with I left work a couple hours early with my boss's blessing.